C'mon Nick you can't be hiding in the bunch to take the sprint in E grade. This week I expect an awesome effort from you big fella - and a break away on the hills on the back of Wandi is just what's required.

Very quiet race for us blokes in D grade. Pretty strong and large field but everyone was suffering from various types of malaises. We only averaged about 33.5kph and it came down to a big bunch sprint at the end.

Couple of interesting moments when a couple of movements went but basically the bunched chased everything down without too many problems.

Alas Redbull had no legs and had a dib on the cross breeze and got a few metres but had to sit up - nothing in the legs

Wizzfizz had a burst to breakaway in the back straight of the last lap but that didn't last long either.

This weekend will be more interesting with some short sharp hills in the mix - still no legs

After last week's effort, this week I was expecting to be riding on the front, chasing down anybody who tried to escape, hopefully getting an intact bunch to 350m to go, sprinting to victory and to harass you in D grade. Then I rode the Wandi course.

The back straight of Lyon Road has a small lump, De Haer Road to the finish, has another small lump early, but nothing too difficult and then 2km downhill to the finish, hidden around a corner, good for my short sprint. Even the climb up Wandi road is short and sharp. But Bodeman Road is a pain, down, small up then down, then up again for 300m, short false flat, then up some more, quick descent followed by climbing up to Lyon Road.

So depending on who is racing and whether a couple of us behave early on, I expect the bunch to be halved by 2nd time along Bodeman Road, a select group will hit the climb on Bodeman Road the 4th and final time, one rider should attack and I will spend the next 4.8km chasing her to the finish.

Justina if your are listening, the 4th time up Bodeman Road, the base of the big climb is the perfect place to attack and get a good distance on me. The climbs on Lyon & De Haer road are too short and will not give you the separation you need and I should be able to chase back on from there. The 3rd time up Bodeman road is an option, but soloing 13km to the finish is harder than 4.8km.

Almost to plan, sat on front, mainly so I could see better, rode hard 2nd time up Bodemore Road to shake things up, 3rd and final time, another rider attacked up Bodemore Road, not who I expected and surprisingly I managed to bridge across to them, the full story in what might my 2nd last E grade race report came be found on my blog or in the BNA race report thread

I say maybe my 2nd last, as I have been told that PDCC has a 3 strikes policy, a win or a 2nd qualifies as a strike. So a win next week, gets me harassing Redbull and Wizzfizz in D grade. That is why I am threatening to take my singlespeed next week, a minor placing should see me stay in E grade for the North Dandalup Handicap, before Serpentine and D grade.

The rest of them should have worked a bit harder to ensure that you two didn't get too far up the road - but you were too strong for them on the day. Well done.

D grade was a really good race - wet but good LOL. At the end the main bunch was 8-9 riders pretty evenly matched and ended in a tidy bunch sprint.

Tried a couple of attacks on the hills and managed to get a gap but the legs are still not 100% (though better than last week) and couldn't go on with it. Getting there, a few less kilos and a few more hard trainings, and I'll be back LOL.

No evil plan to avoid D grade, was going to take my singlespeed, so I had to race smarter. But rode DogHill on Monday on it with 20kmh gusting to 30kmh northerly, at 52x17 spun out going done the back straight and struggled to get a decent cadence on the little lump before the start finish and up the front straight, so maybe gears is the way to go.

New bike arrived on the Tuesday, but with a rainy week and busy work schedule I was unable to get out until Saturday morning and size everything up. It's been about 7 years since I bought the Avanti, and I was just blown away by the difference from alloy to carbon, and from Tiagra to Ultegra.

Out at Dog Hill on Saturday, and I was causing some mischief at the front a couple times. Thought I could make one stick on the 3rd lap, but that's the thing about D grade: the group will always chase you down immediately rather than gambling on chasing down a tired breakaway. Nevermind, save it for the sprint then.

There's a short rise about 1500m from the finish line, and Tom made a move on the outside. I thought he was just trying to get a better position for the sprint, but apparently everyone else thought he was making a break for it - and off we go! I had a good train of riders in front of me, and I start slipping by them one by one as they tire out. 300m to go and there's only Martin in front of me. He knows I'm there, and is constantly looking for me each side. I catch and pass with 100m to go and solo to the line for the win.

So onto next weekend! North Dandalup Handicap is approx 50km for all grades. I've got the Pickering Brook series the next day so I'm undecided which race to save myself for

Hey guys, I've finally purchased a license and will be attending the road race this Saturday in E grade! I have never raced before and am anxiously looking forward to it. I will be the 'new guy' on the black CAAD10 so say hello.

Well my first race today in E grade and it was an eventful one ! 5km in someone at the front touched wheels and all but 2 of us went down at about 37kmph! Luckily I manage to avoid it but two people required ambulances (one bloke with a severe concussion and a lady with possible broken ribs). Hope everyone is okay.

I enjoy your race reports nick - one of the reasons I bit the bullet and signed up to race. E grade was faster than I expected, we were averaging about 35 before the crash so I'm going to have to work on increasing my ave speed!

cant_stop wrote:E grade was faster than I expected, we were averaging about 35 before the crash so I'm going to have to work on increasing my ave speed!

That is faster than I would of expected for E Grade, It is not unusual for short sections of a race in E grade to be ridden at that speed when the pack are chasing a break or somebody is putting on the pain, but not for a whole lap.

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